Why this Phoenix promoter is taking over a downtown warehouse space

Warehouse 215 has a few more parties left in it.

The landmark downtown Phoenix event space is getting a final taste of electronic dance music before its new owners take possession at the end of the year.

Earlier this month, Arizona concert promoter Relentless Beats announced it will take over Warehouse 215 for a three-month residency starting in September, staging a series of EDM shows and events at the 28,000-square-foot venue.

The historic property near Grant and Third streets was sold to new owners earlier this year and ceased hosting events over the summer.

Warehouse 215 went on the market in 2024 as part of Grant Street Assemblage, a 3.17-acre property south of downtown Phoenix. The site was previously owned by Arizona Warehouse Holdings, an entity connected to Phoenix contractor and developer Heather Lennon, according to Maricopa County records.

Relentless Beats owner Thomas Turner says he saw an opportunity for one last run at the venue and signed a short-term lease to take it over.

“It sold and someone’s taking possession of it in December, so there was a window of time until that happened and we did a lease to take it over and do a series,” he says.

Turner says the residency will give Warehouse 215 a few more months of activity and Relentless Beats a final stretch at a venue where it has put on numerous EDM shows over the past two years.

The promoter is also planning a few temporary upgrades to Warehouse 215 while it’s running the place.

Relentless Beats stated in an Aug. 3 post to social media that it will make “meaningful improvements to elevate the experience,” including beefing up the venue’s sound and production.

“It’s going to be stuff for a larger footprint and more robust than we were able to when we’d pop up there for a night or a weekend,” Turner says. “Because we’re able to set up for three months, we’re able to take our time and build a more robust (setup) inside the venue.”

Shows during Relentless Beats’ residency at Warehouse 215 begin Labor Day weekend with techno producer AIROD on Sept. 5.

Relentless Beats has announced a half-dozen other shows at Warehouse 215 during its three-month residency. Industrial techno artist Hhunter on Sept. 19, house music superstar Afrojack on Oct. 19 and Svdden Death on Nov. 27 are all scheduled to perform at the venue.

Warehouse 215’s fall calendar will include more than just beats and bass, though. Relentless Beats also plans to host special events and community-driven programming in partnership with metro Phoenix organizations.

Further details haven’t been announced.

Why Relentless Beats stages warehouse shows

Warehouse 215 has hosted events for the last decade, but the building’s roots go back more than a century. Constructed in 1918, the historic property was home to Phoenix Linen and Towel Supply and other businesses over the decades before becoming Warehouse 215 in 2015 as an offshoot of Phoenix contemporary art space Bentley Gallery.

In 2024, Relentless Beats launched its Phoenix Warehouse Project at the venue, bringing in EDM producers and DJs like Above & Beyond, Malaa, Kayzo and Deorro.

Warehouse EDM shows and raves have surged in popularity in the Valley over the last decade, with off-the-radar Phoenix venues like the Fillmore and After 12 attracting crowds.

The concept is nothing new, though. Underground dance parties have been a part of rave culture since the 1980s. Warehouse shows were a staple of Arizona’s EDM scene during the ’90s and continued into the 2000s and 2010s.

Turner, who DJ’d at Valley raves in the ’90s, says warehouse venues offer an atmosphere and appeal that nightclubs and other traditional venues can’t mimic.

“Something that’s always been really popular is artists wanting to play in spaces that are raw and invite in all audiences,” Turner says. “Warehouse spaces are a very championed environment for shows in such spaces.”

And warehouse shows aren’t going away anytime soon.

Turner says Relentless Beats plans to continue the Phoenix Warehouse Project after its three-month residency at Warehouse 215 ends. It just needs to find the series a new home.

“We’ll find another building,” Turner says. “And we’ve already got some things in the works that we’re looking at as our next choices. So there’s some cool stuff coming up.”